My Fashion, My Blog

Category: Blog

It has been ages since I blogged, and since I’ve done something huge,I felt it was overdue.

I chopped all my hair off! A decision that I have been considering for months and finally resulted in not one, but two takes at short hair living.

I can’t express how liberating I felt to finally cut off my hair.

Short hair is on trend right now with so many celebrities & artists making the cut.

A few tried and tested tips: find a fantastic hairdresser who specifically cuts short hair (if you are in the GTA area you must see Andrew from Salon Amici) and understand that short hair requires work.

I am not blessed with wash and wear hair, so I allow it to air dry, quick blow dry, and the next day I do a smoothing with a round brush and dryer. I also don’t wash my hair everyday, which I find has helped to stay healthy and avoid damage from styling.

“A women who cuts her hair is about to change her life.” – Coco Chanel

I came to Italy and to the town of Portofino with the idea of style expressed individually and uniquely. However, I was faced with the typical social media-influenced styles.

One morning a girl walked in to the breakfast terrace in the most “Instagram influenced” outfit I actually rolled my eyes.

What happened to style? What happened to buying what you love not what will make you socially cool? What happened to admiring a person’s style and how it is a true reflection of them.

I am so uninspired by fashion at the moment. I walked into the chic boutiques, admired and obsessed over many pieces, and kept asking myself “why not buy these pieces? When money is not an issue, why would I buy what everyone is wearing?”

The few days we spent in Portofino, I made an effort to stand out and be me, so I wore my Banana Republic wrap flats, my Anthropology haram pants, my forever21 flip flops to the pool, and my Triangle swimsuit when the majority of women wore their Missoni bikini. Did they make sure to look at see if I fit in? Sure! Did I care? Not really 😉

I wear what makes me happy. I wear what makes me comfortable. And if it is designer, then I am proud of myself because I work hard to have these things. But I don’t think that buying what everyone is wearing can be classified as “style”.

Like this:

My wonderful followers, your flood of emails inquiring about my absence on the blog resulted in me taking the jump back in!

I had a moment last night on an evening walk that resulted with a long and detailed conversation with my husband about my feelings on fashion. My lack of inspiration to write any blog posts or provide any outfit posts (I have many images I am yet to be motivated to post) that he finally said “then write about what you feel, I am sure you are not the only one.”
So here I am! I am taking the step back into Coconut Lace in what I hope would be a more open approach.

I am hating fashion (there I finally said it!). To me, it has lost its complete essence and passion due to the over exposure of social medial and the pool of over qualified “fashion gurus”.
I went to school for fashion. I breathed fashion. I worked for a fashion company in my early years in Toronto for a family that lacked any form of personal identity, just to be in the presence of fashion and to only later realize I would not gain much.
I dislike what fashion has become. There is NO identity. It is an army of fashion “bloggers” turned “influencers”. The images of them in a copy stance of the off-to-next-fashion-show standing with the luggage or strategic camera angel poses. Lame! They all chime the same way, wear the same things and attend the same events. There is no more honest reviews to any products. they all seem to “obsess” or “love” this product or that brand.
I sometimes wonder some of these “influencers” have access to top PR companies, racks of clothes and brands to choose from yet still manage to pick the safest looks. No originality!
I am a fashion graduate and I live and breath and admire fashion for what it was, not what it is.
I will be sharing more on the “End of Fashion” in a 3 part rant, as it is my way of starting fresh and opening a door for true opinion from an expert stand.

Like this:

I often get asked how to style a straw tote/bag and I always answer, however you like!

Who says there is a rule on where and how to wear a straw bag? In the 70’s, actress Jane Birkin was always photographed with her trademark straw basket, she even paired it with a chic black cocktail dress.

In recent years, fashion has started to break the mold of rules allowing for a more simple and natural approach on things. If you are wearing a pair of jeans, a tank and want to carry your straw tote/bag then, why not? Who says they are only beach friendly!

I have shared a few looks to inspire you to carry your own straw bag. For any inquires or orders, please visit our Shop section on the blog.

Like this:

I am excited to announce The Chiq Jewelry will now be carrying a collection of my Straw Bags.

“The Chiq Jewelry and Coconut Lace come together to help a cause. A collection of handcrafted straw bags by artisans in Ghana, & embellished in details in Toronto, Canada, these bags are a labor of love until every clients receive them.”